Staff
Matt is honored to serve as the director of Campus Compact for Southern New England (CCSNE). In this capacity he is responsible for the strategic vision for the regional compact, leading regional coalition building efforts, supporting the development of member engagement activities and services, and managing the organizational and administrative aspects of CCSNE. Additionally, he will actively link the regional efforts with national priorities and programs ensuring maximum opportunities for member campuses and impact.
The formation of CCSNE is a direct result of Matt’s experience serving as the Executive Director of Connecticut Campus Compact and interim director of Rhode Island Campus Compact. These roles positioned Matt to see the dynamic work of member campuses across Southern New England and the numerous community assets that could be better leveraged to create a more just, equitable, and sustainable society.
Prior to the Compact, Matt served in multiple roles in higher education with academic affairs, student affairs, and campus ministry focused on civic and community engagement. He has served as the Director of the Office of Community Outreach at the University of Connecticut, Associate Director for GEAR-UP at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education, and Assistant Director of the Center for Social Concern at Stonehill College. Matt has a BS in Business Administration from Stonehill College and a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Connecticut.
In recent years, Matt’s own community engagement has primarily focused on supporting his two daughter’s experiences through volunteering in parent-teacher associations, school policy advisory boards, youth sports (coaching basketball), and way too many parent booster clubs. Additionally, he serves as a Commissioner of the Connecticut Commission on Community Service and a member of the Connecticut Civic Health Advisory Committee organized by the Office of the Secretary of the State of Connecticut and Everyday Democracy. When Matt is not driving his car around Southern New England, he enjoys the occasional game of golf, cheering from the sidelines of his kids’ sports events, and binge watching Game of Thrones.
617-553-5543| kstewart {at} compact(.)org
Kaytee has worked with Campus Compact for four years, most recently serving as the Program Manager of Campus Compact for Southern New England before being named Assistant Director. Prior to that, she served as the Program Coordinator at Connecticut Campus Compact, where she supported Compact member programming and the AmeriCorps VISTA Program. Kaytee has a Bachelor’s Degree in Public & Community Service Studies from the Feinstein Institute for Public Service at Providence College and received her Master’s Degree in Gender & Social Policy from the London School of Economics. She began working with Campus Compact as an undergraduate through regional conferences and through Rhode Island Campus Compact in which she completed an AmeriCorps Scholarship for Service program and was a student researcher for a Learn & Serve America grant. After graduation, she served as an AmeriCorps VISTA through Rhode Island Campus Compact, serving at Providence College and focused on growing interdisciplinary service-learning opportunities through faculty and student development opportunities. After graduate school, Kaytee returned to the Feinstein Institute as a full-time staff member where she oversaw several programs, including EXPLORE (a college access/readiness program), Global Service-Learning, and Community Work Study. She has also taught several undergraduate classes in Public Service, Global Studies, and Women’s Studies. Kaytee is passionate about leadership development, creating collaborative learning environments, engaging in critical civic reflection and working collaboratively to improve our local and global communities.
617-553-5531 | jcronin {at} compact(.)org
Julie is excited to join the Campus Compact for Southern New England team as the Member Engagement Coordinator. After receiving her Bachelor’s in Sociology from Bridgewater State University, Julie served an as AmeriCorps*VISTA with Massachusetts Campus Compact. In this role, she worked towards building a new partnership with a Boston public high school around post-secondary success. This experience solidified her desire to advance reciprocal campus-community partnerships to promote a more equitable society. After her VISTA year, she completed a Master’s of Education in Community Engagement with a concentration in Higher Education at Merrimack College. During her graduate program, she served as research fellow in the college’s School of Education and Social Policy, working on a variety of projects including supporting the institutionalization of service-learning and community engagement in local and international contexts. Julie most recently worked at Mount Wachusett Community College in the Brewer Center for Civic Learning and Community Engagement, where she supported civic engagement programs inclusive of service-learning, community-based internships, and a student leadership program. Julie is passionate about the public purposes of higher education, community-based learning, and college access and success.
617-553-5537 | sbassett {at} compact(.)org
Sharon is thrilled to be leading the Campus Compact for Southern New England (CCSNE)VISTA Corps. Sharon was the founding Executive Director of Massachusetts Campus Compact (MACC) and the MACC VISTA program. When family life required relocating away from Massachusetts, Sharon continued to consult with MACC and MACC VISTA working with many of the corps members over the years through training, evaluation support, resource development, and facilitation. Sharon’s career began as an instructor at the Voyageur Outward Bound School and as a teacher of environmental and outdoor education programs following her BA in Psychology from Earlham College. Her passion for education led her to earn a Master’s degree in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and to become involved in the emerging field of service learning. At the Massachusetts Department of Education, Sharon directed the Massachusetts Higher Education Consortium for Community Service Learning and led the statewide organizing effort that resulted in the founding of the Massachusetts Campus Compact in 1995. After working as an independent consultant for years, Sharon left consulting to return to the MACC staff in 2014 as Director of Partnerships and Resource Development and then Co-Director of MACC VISTA, Sharon took over as Director of MACC VISTA during the 2016-17 program year and helped develop the CCSNE VISTA program. Sharon balances work with her own active community and family life. When not working with CCSNE VISTA, you will find her volunteering in the Framingham schools, running swim meets and driving carpool.
617-553-5544 | tcerezo {at} compact(.)org
Tasia is excited to re-join the Campus Compact network. Originally from, Miami, Florida. Tasia attended Spelman College where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. After college, she joined the Campus Compact network through the Massachusetts Campus Compact (MACC) AmeriCorps VISTA Program where she served at Pine Manor College. At Pine Manor, Tasia developed and implemented a service-learning course that incorporated hands-on experience in New Orleans for students in support of the rebuilding of the city and the surrounding communities after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Tasia served as co-VISTA Leader for two years before transitioning to work in the non-profit sector and higher education where she supported low to moderate income teens and families in roles such as Volunteer Coordinator, Teen Center Director and Educational Advisor. Her work within higher education and her passion for community work encouraged her to pursue her Master’s degree in Education with a concentration of Community Engagement from Merrimack College. Tasia is devoted to institution – community relationships which can provide a holistic approach to student support from all backgrounds while promoting institutional access to all communities.
617-553-5534 | alepito {at} compact(.)org
Ariel grew up in Connecticut, but moved to the Midwest to purse her degree in Anthropology at Grinnell College. After graduation, she served as a VISTA with Iowa Campus Compact at Mid-Iowa Community Action. At Grinnell, she was a member of the women’s volleyball team and spent time pursuing her interests in Spanish and cultural anthropology. She also had the opportunity to study abroad in Quito, Ecuador. During her year as a VISTA, Ariel implemented a mobile food pantry that increased access to fresh and nonperishable food for food insecure families in rural Iowa. She also built capacity for the volunteer program at MICA. Additionally, Ariel volunteered and lived at a local retirement community where she helped plan activities for the independent living residents. Outside of her service, Ariel enjoys trying new food and spending time in nature.
617-553-5536 | jmurphy@compact.org
Jana is originally from Germany, but moved to Massachusetts in 2013, where she started over her college career. Before becoming a VISTA leader, Jana served for two years as CCSNE AmeriCorps VISTA at Mount Wachusett Community College. During her two years of service, she worked on initiatives to combat food insecurity in North Central Massachusetts while educating the college community about local and global hunger alleviation initiatives. In her second year of service, she spearheaded the creation of the Food for Thought: Campus Pantry, which serves food insecure students at Mount Wachusett Community College. In her freetime, Jana likes to spend time with her 5-year-old-son, read a good book, and travel.
312-362-6716 | mpeace@compact.org
Maria Peace is an aspiring community organizer with a background in education. She has an MA in Intercultural Studies from Moody Theological Seminary, as well as an MS in Multidisciplinary Studies for International Teachers from SUNY Buffalo. Her undergraduate degree was in English Language Teaching from Bosphorus University in Istanbul, Turkey, and she is a CELTA (Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults) certified teacher. She has taught internationally for two years in Kyiv, Ukraine. She taught fifth grade her first year and Russian language to non-native speakers, her second year. Maria currently lives in Chicago.